Gas heated embossing press



April 22, 1947. LISH 2,419,271

' GAS HEATED EMBOSSING PRESS Filed June 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l w l 35 I 45 'INVENTOR.

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1 ATTORNEY.

f/ENR) us 7 April 22, 1947. H. LISH GAS HEATED EMBOSSING PRESS Filed June 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/ENR) us INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY. I

April 22, 1947. I 1 H v 2,419,271

GAS HEATED EMBOSSING PRESS Filed June 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 HEN/{y Us INVENTOR.

- BY @MJM ATTORNEY,

Patented Apr. 22, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS HEATED EMBOSSING PRESS Henry Lish, Brookline, Mass.

Application June 8, 1944, Serial No. 539,290

1 Claim. (Cl. 101-9) This invention relates generally to the art of the manufacture of decorative materials and objects and more particularly to novel means and methods of producing embossing on planar materials, either of woven or knitted textile or homogeneous materials such as felt, paper or pulp board.

It has been known in the art to produce decorative objects, for example, flowers which have petal or leaf structure composed of felt or similar material in which the veinings or surface undulations are produced by heat and pressure. Such prior constructions and the methods for producing them, have been open to a number of objections, among them being the fact that the process of producing the surface irregularities was slow and time consuming with a consequent high cost of production.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide novel and useful decorated material and objects which may be fabricated in large scale at relatively low cost.

Another object herein lies in the provision of means for the fabrication of the said decorated materials and articles, which is convenient in use and which may be operated at relatively high speed by operators having relatively no special skill.

One of the objections to prior art constructions is that under adverse conditions in use, such as heat, pressure and humidity or combinations of these elements, the decorative veinings and undulations tend to disappear. Another object herein lies in the provision of structures and methods which provide for decorative materials or articles which show a greater durability in use in that they tend to retain their original configuration for longer periods under adverse conditions of use.

The present invention provides not only for an improved product, but a substantial uniformity in the characteristics thereof so that fabricated parts are completely interchangeable.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the separate embodiments.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a five petaled flower body constructed-in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the male and female die elements and associated structure.

Figure 4 is a reduced fragmentary top plan view of the female die element shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing the male and female die elements and connected structure associated with a hydraulic press for the operation thereof.

Figure 6 is a stack of the petal blanks in one stage of the process of the'fabrication of the petal forming bodies.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the petal blanks prior to the embossing thereof.

Figure 8 is a top'view in perspective of the male die element with connected structure.

Figure 9 is a bottom perspective view of the female die element with connected structure.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen from the plane l,lJlll on Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a reduced fragmentary front elevational view showing the association of the male and female die elements on Figures 8 and 9 with another form of press.

Turning first to the machines for the production of the embossed petal bodies, a press such as the hydraulic press I I may be used with plane plates (not shown) as a blanking press and the material l2 may be arranged in a laminated manner with a plurality of laminations superposing each other. By the use of a blanking die, the entire lay may be blanked with a single downward movement of the plunger or piston I3. of the press H, with the consequent production of the stack [4 of petal bodies, the individual petal bodies being generally indicated by reference character l5.

The male die element H5 is preferably arranged so that it superposes the female die element H. The principal advantage of this is that the female die element has a plurality of receptacles [8, which act to receive and properly position the individual petal body blanks, prior to, during and after the embossing operation. The female die element, therefore, may include a plurality of the receptacles l8 and as seen in Figure 4, there has been shown a female die element having nine separate receptacles [8, each adapted to receive a separate petal body. The lower surface [9 of the female die element I! is provided with a plurality of supporting and attaching lugs 20. The lugs 20 may be of block shape and are preferably provided with orifices 2| which are adapted to -bers 42. comprise bosses 43 having threaded rods 44 be engaged by the upper ends of hook connecters 22. The connecters 22 are provided with hooks at the upper ends thereof engaging the last described orifices and the lower ends thereof may be detachably secured to the plate 23, secured upon the post 24. The post 24 may be connected in any suitable manner to the platform 25 of the press Ill. The female die element l1, preferably at the periphery 26 thereof and in the upper surface 21, is provided with a plurality of sockets 28, which are adapted to slidably receive the pegs or keys 29 on the male die element It.

The receptacles 18 preferably have vertical side walls 30 which are adapted to engage the free edges 3| of the petal bodies [5. The bottom Walls 32 of the receptacles l8 are provided withindentations 33 which correspond to the projections 34 on the male die element it as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The male die element H has the undersurface 35'thereof provided not only with the keys 2!! but also with the male die members 36. The male die members 36 have vertical walls 3? which are adapted to slidably engage the vertical walls 30. The lowermost surfaces of the male die members 36 have the projections 34 thereon previously described.

While the configurations of the receptacles 30 and the male die members 38 are illustratedin the drawings as corresponding to the edge 3! of the petal body l5 and to the veining generally indicated by reference character 40, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, that wheredesired, the die receptacles l8 and the male die members 36 may be altered to conform to any desired decorative shape or embossing.

The upper surface 4| of the male die element I6 is provided with a plurality of support mem- The support members 42 preferably projecting vertically upward therefrom. The threaded rods 44 may penetrate correspondingly disposed orifices in the cross-head 45. The rods 44 are maintained in adjusted positions thereof with respect to the cross-head 45 by the use of the upper and lower nuts 46 and 41, respectively. The cross-head 45 may be adjustably positioned upon the vertical rods 48 by the use of the nuts 49 and 50. The rods 48 are vertically slidably reciprocatable within the hollow ways 5| of the press 7 by any suitable source of power. They maybe, for example, elevated to the upper position thereof by springs, not shown, and lowered to the lower position thereof by pedal pressure, steam, magnetic force, or hydraulic force.

Each of the die elements l6 and I1 is provided with upper and lower heating means 52 and 53, respectively.

The heating means 52 includes a substantially circular pipe54 which includes a plurality of horizontally disposed orifices 55 (see Figure 10). The end of the pipe 54 is provided with a cap 59 and said pipe is secured upon the upper surface 4| by brackets or clamps '55. The relatively open end of the pipe 54 curves upwardly away from the surface 41 and has attached thereto by the connecter 5?, a tube 5% adapted to carry gaseous fuel.

The heating means 53 includes a substantially circular pipe '64, which includes a plurality of "is secured uponthe undersurface I!) by brackets or-clamps E6. The relativelyopen end of the pipe 64 curves downwardly away from the surface l9 and has attached thereto by the connecter 61, a tube 68 adapted to carry gaseous fuel.

In accordance with the invention, the method of operation is as follows: First, layers of material are plied or laminated to produce a lay of the desired number of layers and a suitable blanking die is forced through the "lay to produce the stack 14 of blanks of petal bodies I5. As previously stated, the outline or edge 3! of he body l5 may be varied to suit the aesthetic requirements of the design of the finished decorative article.

' For efficiency in operation, it is preferable that the lays be of the same number of laminations as there are receptacles l8 in the male die elements l6. Thus,the operator may handle indi vidual stacks and deal out one of the bodies l5 into each of the receptacles l8, for each complete pressing operation cycle. The tubes 58 and 68 are connected to asuitable source of gaseous fuel (not shown) and it is desirable that sufficient pressure exist within the tubes 58 and -68 and hence the pipes 54 and 54, so that the flames of the burning gas may extend horizontally from the orifices55 and toward each other to make sufficient contact with the surfaces 4| and 19, so that the .die elements l6 and I! may reach proper operating temperature. In actual operation, it is necessary that the flames be ignited some period of time before the first batch of pressings are made so thatthe proper temperature is obtained. The proper operating temperature is sufficient so that the bodies G5 are properly deformed without scorching them.

By virtue of the keys 25, the die elements I6 and H may be properly vertically aligned with respect to each other and by virtue. of the adjustment afforded by the nuts 45, 4? and 49, 50, the die elements It and I? may be properly aligned with respect to each other so that they are parallel and so that each of the die members 36 may properly seat itself Within the corresponding receptacle 18 with a consequent uniform pressure placed .upon each of the blanks of the bodies l5, which is disposed in each of the receptacles l8. By virtue of the fact that the tubes 58 and 68 are flexible, the movement of the die members It and Il with respect to each other, is relatively uninhibited.

After the individual blanks of the material l2 in the form of the bodies l5 have been placed within the receptacles i8 and the die elements are of the proper temperature, the die elements l6 and ii are brought together under the requisite pressure and for the length of time necessary to stabilize the material [2 into its newly deformed contour.

At the end of the present operation the male die is separated from the female die and the individual petal bodies as they appear in Figures 1 and 2 are removed. Where desired, camber or other deformity may be caused to occur in the several petals 10. Although in the petal body l5 shown in Figure 1, the veining is depressed to the .undersurface 'H, where desired this intaglio deformation may be reversed to produce an upwardly embossed effect.

Turning now to the alternate form of the machine shown in Figure 5, for the purpose of avoiding needless repetition, parts corresponding to that the male and female die elements H6 and Ill have been altered so that they may be carried by the plunger or piston [3 of the hydraulic press H and the pedestal 9 respectively. In the press H, the hydraulic tubes are indicated by 'spect to the others in the same batch and in the construction shown, the speed of production is nine times as great in comparison with single presses in which only a single pair of individual male and female die parts are associated. Furthermore, by virtue of the relatively uniform distribution of heat and the great pressure which ma be applied to the material as it is worked, the finished decorative articles show substantial durability and tend to retain the new deformation even under adverse conditions of weather and use.

It may thus be seen that there has been provided a novel and useful method and means for the production of decorative articles. By virtue of the method and means disclosed, relatively large production may take place with a low manpower requirement. This provides for a consequently reduced cost of production, and greater distribution, sale and use. The products manufactured in accordance with the process described are substantially uniform with respect to each other and full advantage is taken of the thermoplastic and/or thermosetting qualities of the material which is being worked.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

A device for producing embossed decorative articles by the use of burning gas and pressure comprising: a male die element having a platelike body; a female die element having a plate- 6 like body, said female die element having a plurality of spaced receptacles; said male die element having a plurality of spaced male die members arranged so that all of said male die members are simultaneously receivable by said receptacles; first heating means secured to the body of the female die element, including a circularly arranged tube having a plurality of orifices disposed to direct gas emanating therefrom radially toward the point with respect to which the tube is concentric; second heating means secured to the body of the male die element, including a circularly arranged tube having a plurality of orifices disposed to direct gas emanating therefrom radially toward thepoint with respect to which the tube is concentric and means to reciprocate said die elements with respect to each other.

HENRY LISH.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,344,034 Hart June 22, 1920 1,471,021 Beardsley Oct. 16, 1923 1,532,672 Bertona Apr. 7, 1925 1,641,310 Wittcoff Sept. 6, 1927 2,253,611 Davis Aug. 26, 1941 604,778 McCarthy May 31, 1898 699,049 Williams Apr. 29, 1902 970,413 Antonucci Sept. 13, 1910 1,924,800 Nixon Aug. 29, 1933 199,340 Winn Jan. 15, 1878 395,619 Furman Jan. 1, 1889 1,868,788 Zinser July 26, 1932 401,839 Kunze Apr. 23, 1889 617,147 Dewes Jan. 3, 1899 523,006 Price July 17, 1894 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,599 Great Britain 1902 25,749 Great Britain 1909 144,991 France 1881 

